Lionel uses red and black (red always for the center rail, black for the two outer rails) as a standard in its instructions and most 3-Rail O Gauge layouts are probably wired this way. They give a true 180 watts and have excellent electronic breakers. Make sure you are getting the right type of power supply for your layout. I recently read an article/product review in the OGR magazine for the new Lioneltransformerand wassurprisedto learn that not all voltage outputwave-formsare created equal (pure sine wave versus some type of clipped sine wave). Apparently there is a difference between old conventional and new conventional power. I have one R transformer from which I run everything - but only 1 train at a time and a few accessories for a layout in a space about 24 by 10 ft. I run an MTH 4-6-2 PS-1 pulling five Madisons on about fifty feet of track and the transformer I am using (Z-4000) has a digital amp readout. Also, you must have a built-in circuit breaker to prevent a short circuit from causing permanent damage to the power supply or the trains. Fortunately, in the early 21st century it is easier to expand your starter set than ever before. Dang, this math makes my head hurt. :-). Note that when working with specific products, manufacturers will often recommend a wire size and type. Join Today! The Lionel ZW has four sets of posts and six controls. Thanks in advance for any information, Mike. Most recommend the TPCs over the powermasters The CW 80 will work to begin with. Amperes = VA/Secondary Volts or 40VA/28V = 1.43 amperes. What about removing flanges from diesel wheels? The 110-wattLionel RW is a cheap option, and the 125-watt LW, while a bit more expensive, gives a bit more power. Extending the Reach of Your Power I went to mth Z1000, jason's train shop has the best price's I have seen for these. Some DCC systems also recommend solid wire for certain applications. If your going to run anything more that what came with the set then you should probably upgrade to something a little bigger. And of course, individual Fastrack sections are also available. Keeping in mind that I will likely continue to add to the layout as my addiction develops! --Build a Better Toy Train Layout, by John Grams and Dick Christianson. Here are a couple examples: As you can see, with a bit of experimentation and imagination, numerous different track layouts can be created. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. They are reasonably durable and were popular in their day, which means there are still a lot of them floating around so they tend to be inexpensive. TRANSFORMERS ransformers were issued by Lionel thoughout the Post War period. Hello All: Another simple way of doing it, Only load the transformer to 75% of it's capacity, or take your total load & multiply by 125% for proper transformer sizing. If you want to connect ten landscape lights to a magnetic transformer, and the lights use 30 watts each, you would need a 375 watt transformer. This signifies compatibility with 50 Hertz power. To my knowledge, you should have no compatibility issues with a pure sine wave track feed with any major brand locomotive. Again, an independent power supply and distribution bus is a good idea for your switches. As your needs grow, you can employ a larger transformer of fixed voltage. Unlimited Members, sign in to enjoy sitewide access. Should it be a Lionel or should it be an MTH with command control? A: According to Lionel's head of customer service, on the underside of their CW80 transformers, starting in late 2009, the vendor applied a sticker that states "QC50" on it. There have been issues with chopped waveform transformers, i.e. The greatest transformer Lionel made in the postwar era was the 270 watt Lionel ZW. The two types of cars will connect together just fine, but when side-by-side in a train, they may look a bit odd. As you can see, a lot of great helpers here. There are many advantages in repairing or reconditioning your transformers. There are also numerous static accessories that do not operate but add visual interest to your layout, such as the #24219 girder bridge. If you add a lot of track and find that your train slows down as it gets farther from your transformer, you will need to run jumper wires to the opposite side of your track layout. Plan on using the KW's for the big layout and 1033's like I did before. The load voltage and load amps must be known to calculate KVA rating. If the voltage drop in the track is more than a small fraction of the transformer voltage, that is, a volt or two, you are going to have trouble running the trains anyway. From 25 Watts to 275 Watts, a Lionel transformer could be found for every power requirment from simple circles of track to extensive railroads. It's expensive, but the same factors that drove KW prices down are also driving ZW prices down. I have noticed that my old transformers do not work well or not work at all with newer electronic whistle tenders. And again regardless of scale or manufacturer, switch machines of these two types will have similar needs and performance. Expanding the basic oval from the set is the quickest way to add more interest to your trains. As the train goes by, the door to the shed opens and a figure pops out, and once the train has passed the figure re-enters the building and the door shuts. Never Enough Room, Time or Money for all the Trains! Lionel Model Railroad and Train Transformers Lionel Model Railroad and Train Transformers Best Selling Lionel 1908080 O Gauge CW80 Transformers - Black (4) $147.85 New $110.00 Used Lionel Legacy Powermaster Lnl637146 (13) $134.99 New $90.00 Used Lionel 634120 TMCC Direct Lock-On Transformer - Silver (21) $58.99 New $49.99 Used These systems still require a power supply but it only needs to supply a constant voltage to the rails. If youre going to run more than one train, you can pair up two smaller transformers, or you can look at the two-handled transformers. The old transformer is not really the problem, the problem is the supply wire, particularly under heavyload (or derailment without the benefit of a quicker breaker). The larger wire is usually more expensive and more challenging to work with. Atlas and Bachmann have the same transformers with 80 watt outputs as well that get good reviews and would be appropriate for a smaller layout. To build on the point you are running MTH trains and therefore will probably go DCS eventually: I would break the track into blocks of about 5 feet in length. When you get DCS, keep the blocks and run the 2 sets off 2 Fixed channels out. How to open tamper resistant outlets, Xxcopy vs Xcopy: Command line copy utilities, Where to connect the red wire to a light switch, Brains 25 cents: The story behind the meme. A lot of people are using the MTH Z1000's who have smaller layouts while others have moved up to the MTH Z4000. You don't want to try to solder even Number 16 gauge wire right to your rails, however. I would check yoour connections and wire size, just to be safe. I don't want to buy a lot more track, but then find out the transformer is too weak, if that make sense. So far, I haven't seen any way to do this except to take amp measurements or just wing it and see how hot your transformer gets. In most cases, because we are dealing with relatively low voltage and amperage and in a normally stable temperature and humidity climates, our wiring does not require any extra insulation. An Essential Guide for Toy Train Enthusiasts! The house's current is reduced to the required low voltage by Trainmaster Transformers. EXPLORE FasTrack 10" Straight Track 4-Pack 6-12032 $ 21.99 FasTrack Grade Crossing with Flashers 6-12052 $ 99.99 FasTrack O36 Curved Track 4-Pack 6-12033 $ 21.99 Legacy AMC-2 Motor Controller "O" Gauge is what Lionel is today, along with "O27". If the system's train transformer is run in Europe with a step-down transformer alone (converting only voltage from 230V to 115V AC at a 50 Hz), it may not operate as intended. Kind Regards Steve, QUOTE: by Dave Has anyone here ever blown a transformer from hauling a double-headed Allegheny coal drag up a 2 percent grade?. For Lionel power the 45 watts is good for a 4 by 8 as a rule of thumb to compensate poor track you just use more feeders. Now, I diconnected that old dinosaur and connected two separate smaller ones which weren't powerful enough to run my Amtrack MTH trains. I'm not sure I completely understand your question. The new Lionel ZW-L is getting a lot of good reviews and is a very powerful transformer for most layouts. "What size wire should I use?" The power supply that comes with these sets is usually a very small wall pack plug-in that cannot be easily expanded. To participate you must either login or register for an account. If they do, follow their recommendations. Great for learning all you will ever want to know about Lionels track system. If you want a transformer with power to spare go get a ZW! He directs production at Lionel, the premier model train manufacturer, and he istheformer president of theConrail HistoricalSociety. Adding more freight or passenger cars [also known as rolling stock] to your set is another way to quickly expand your railroad. The Lionel 1033 is a great choice for small or medium-sized layouts. --Heck, watching one train run is great, Ill bet TWO would be even more fun! electronically controlled outputs. Although it will not have any impact on the performance of the wire within, choosing multiple colors of wire, and standardizing on a specific color for each function, will go a long way in making your wiring easier to install and easier to detect flaws later on. Reading & Northern, Reading Company, Reading Lines, Philadelphia & Reading. This tool will allow you calculate the KVA that you need. I talk more in depth about the 1033 here. It has FasTrack connectors on one end and O Gauge track pins on the other. * NOTE: We do not recommend loading a transformer above 80% of its KVA rating. Yes, but the train will probably run too fast, depending on the output voltage of the transformer. The circuit breaker should trip with a click and the transformer should go dead. Lionel made a lot of other transformers over the years. They are fun to have. Again, if you have a very long run between switches, going a little larger is less likely to cause problems with voltage loss. Right now I am running 8 motors on one KW [the new one I found] and got the old one for reserve. If you were to get a ZW 275 you need external short protection. This type of transformer is cheap, its reliable, and its easy to find. Number 24 to Number20 wire will all work with most layouts. Well Mike what I am about to suggest may be a little pricy or at least it was for me but I have managed to buy a new Lionel ZW. I bet they would be great for running lights and unloading the main transformer. Does Lionel still make standard gauge trains? When running a mixed bag train show with new and old trains of mixed types such as Loinel and MTH which is better? The typ miniature incandecents we use average about 100 ma of current each. Classic Toy Trains 5-Year Collection 2015-2019 DVD-ROM. Electric Trains make great power supplies, depending on usage, on a DCS controlled layout. For a transformer less or equal to 500 kilovolt-amperes, a typical %Z impedance may vary between 2.3% and 5.2% based on the voltage level. In either case, however, voltage and amperage draw is low and peak for only brief periods. Professionals Need: Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy Amazon Photos Unlimited Photo Storage Free With Prime: Prime Video Direct Get 20 articles about compact layouts and how to build them. This tool only evaluates common voltages for North America (ie. If the second digit is 9, it could be either, so be careful when considering one of them. HO gauge is very popular because of its size. It is not uncommon to see 50-year-old transformers still going strong on a model railroad. Keep the power supplies in an area where they get plenty of air circulation to prevent overheating. All of the transformers that have more than 90 Watts are in great demand today as more collectors are operating retro-layouts.
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